The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2202 page)

(Heb., ‘The Great Sabbath’). The Sabbath preceding the Jewish
Passover
. It is possibly called the ‘great Sabbath’ because the
haftarah
reading is from
Malachi
and refers to the ‘great and terrible day of the Lord’ (3. 23).

 
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(1626–76)
. Jewish
messianic
leader. Shabbetai Zevi was ordained as a
akham
after a thorough
Talmudic
and kabbalistic education. In 1665, he travelled to Gaza to meet
Nathan of Gaza
‘in order to find
tikkun
and peace for his soul’. Nathan was convinced that
Shabbetai
was the
messiah
and on 17 Sivan, Shabbetai so declared himself. He appointed representatives of the twelve tribes and circled
Jerusalem
on horseback like a king. Rumour spread throughout Europe. Shabbetai was
excommunicated
in Jerusalem and returned to Smyrna, and the entire community was thrown into a state of messianic fervour. A division arose between the believers (the
ma’aminim
) and the ‘infidels’ (
the koferim
), but so hysterical was the excitement that many of the infidels were forced to flee from the city. After appointing counterparts to the ancient kings of
Israel
, Shabbetai sailed for Constantinople, where he was arrested and held in moderately comfortable imprisonment. Meanwhile, news of the advent of the messiah produced enormous excitement throughout the diaspora, and broadsheets and pamphlets were circulated throughout Europe. In some instances support was given to the movement by Christian millenarians who believed that the world would come to an end in 1666. From prison Shabbetai continued his activities, abolishing the fasts of 17
Tammuz
and 9
Av
, and signing his letters as ‘the firstborn son of God’ and even ‘the Lord your God Shabbetai Zevi’. In Sept. 1666, he was taken to the Sultan's court where he was given the choice of death or conversion to Islam. Shabbetai agreed to
apostasy
, took the name of Aziz Mehmed Effendi, and accepted a royal pension. Shabbetai himself continued to act as before among his secret followers in Adrianople and was finally exiled to Albania where he died in 1676. Although repressed by the
rabbis
, Shabbatean ideas, particularly in the realm of the kabbalah, continued to circulate, especially in Turkey, Italy, and Poland, and continued to inspire popular movements such as the
‘aliyah
of ‘the holy society of Rabbi Judah
asid’ to Jerusalem in 1700. Such scholars as Moses
Luzzatto
, Jonathan
Eybeschuetz
, and Nehemiah Hiyya
Hayon
provoked controversy because of their continued Shabbatean ideas. For later developments see
DOENMEH
;
FRANK, JACOB
.

 
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see
LUZZATTO, SAMUEL DAVID
.

 
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Sh
dhiliy(y)a
.

A S
f
order founded by al-Sh
dhil
(1196–1258 (AH 593–656)) who left, not written works, but many sayings and chants. The best-known collection is
izb al-Ba
r
(Incantation of the Sea), which effected many
miracles
. He strongly emphasized
abr (acceptance) and
shukr
(thanksgiving). He insisted on observance of Sunn
orthodoxy, hence avoiding conflict as the movement spread, mainly into N. Africa. From the Sh
dhiliy(y)a derived many other orders, e.g. the ‘Alawiy(y)a, the Darqawiy(y)a. The influence of the Sh
dhiliy(y)a was extended in the 20th cent. beyond the Muslim world through the writings of René Guénon, also known as Shaykh ‘Abd al-W
id Ya
y